1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a monolithic plastic object which is constructed as structural foam and define a sandwich-like structure with a foam core and closed skin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a method and board obtained therewith is known for instance from U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,218.
Known from the '219 patent is a method according to which a few seconds after completion of injection of the plastic the mould cavity is enlarged in a predetermined time and in a controlled manner. By making use of a foaming agent and application of gas counter pressure, it can thus be achieved that the foam structure is of good quality, while the skin of the obtained board has a closed and smooth structure.
According to the said '218 patent, the mould is held for a predetermined time in its closed starting position, whereafter the mould undergoes a determined expansion in a subsequent specified period. After reaching maximum expansion cooling takes place for a time, whereafter the formed board can be removed.
Attention is also drawn to U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,858, which deals with a related technique and wherein mention is also made of a number of possible plastics for use in the context of this technique and substances such as foaming agents for adding thereto.
Applicant's own European patent application EP-A-0 692 358 relates to a further development of the technique as described in the above stated two references. According to this patent application, opening of the mould takes place in a very well defined and controlled manner, whereby in principle a plastic board of good quality can be obtained. The drawback of this technique however is that the various parameters involved must be controlled within very narrow limits, which cannot always be realized in practice or does not result in an optimum product or process.
Since it has been found that with the known method boards of a sufficiently high and constant quality cannot be obtained, it is an object of the invention to provide a method with which an object, for instance a board, of improved quality can be manufactured.
It has been found that with the prior art method there is only a very limited freedom to vary the relevant parameters in order to obtain objects with different compositions and dimensions. As a result it cannot always be prevented that, where there is insufficient control or freedom of a relevant parameter, the obtained product does not comply with the required quality standards.
It is therefore an object of the invention to increase the freedom of choice and the tolerance limits of the various relevant parameters.
It is a further object of the invention to make the skin thickness better controllable and even practically fully controllable.
Yet another object of the invention is to shorten a production cycle.
Finally, it is an object of the invention to make the foam density distribution considerably better controllable than is the case with the prior art.